COMPOSER

Enoch Sontonga

1873 - 1905

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Enoch Mankayi Sontonga (c. 1873 – 18 April 1905) was a South African composer, who is best known for writing the Xhosa hymn "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika" ("God Bless Africa"), which, in abbreviated version, has been sung as the first half of the national anthem of South Africa since 1994. Previously, it had been the official anthem of the African National Congress since 1925. This song was first adopted by Tanzania (Then Tanganyika) as her national anthem in 1961 when she got her independence from Great Britain, translated it in Swahili. In 1964 Zambia also adopted it as its national anthem followed by Botswana and Zimbabwe (who translated into Shona "Ishe Komborera Afrika" from 1980 until 1994. Read more on Wikipedia

His biography is available in different languages on Wikipedia. Enoch Sontonga is the 1,334th most popular composer (down from 1,236th in 2019), the 188th most popular biography from South Africa (down from 127th in 2019) and the 2nd most popular South African Composer.

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Among COMPOSERS

Among composers, Enoch Sontonga ranks 1,334 out of 1,451. Before him are Howard Hanson, Bruce Broughton, Detto Mariano, Poul Ruders, Karel Husa, and Rauf Hajiyev. After him are Vincent Persichetti, David Del Tredici, Mark Mancina, Emīls Dārziņš, Harald Kloser, and Joel Goldsmith.

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Contemporaries

Among people born in 1873, Enoch Sontonga ranks 194. Before him are Leonid Leonidov, Michel Giacobini, Juliette Atkinson, August Rodenberg, Halvdan Koht, and John Simon, 1st Viscount Simon. After him are Hugh Trenchard, 1st Viscount Trenchard, Frederick Merriman, Charles Clary, Herbert Roper Barrett, Dmitry Ushakov, and Dorothy Richardson. Among people deceased in 1905, Enoch Sontonga ranks 95. Before him are Lizardo Montero Flores, Alexander Melville Bell, Juan Pablo Rojas Paúl, Mabel Cahill, Vjenceslav Novak, and Frederic Thesiger, 2nd Baron Chelmsford. After him are Fitzhugh Lee, George S. Boutwell, James Mason, and Sarah E. Goode.

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In South Africa

Among people born in South Africa, Enoch Sontonga ranks 188 out of 454. Before him are Clarence Walker (1898), Richard Borcherds (1959), Clarence Oldfield (1899), Eddie Kramer (1942), Grace Mugabe (1965), and Baleka Mbete (1949). After him are Eddie Keizan (1944), Albertina Sisulu (1918), Paddy Driver (1934), Robert Fowler (1931), Cariba Heine (1988), and Neill Blomkamp (1979).

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Among COMPOSERS In South Africa

Among composers born in South Africa, Enoch Sontonga ranks 2. Before him are Trevor Jones (1949).

South African born Composers

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